Plant Resistance to Cereal and Food Legume Insect pests in North Africa, West and Central Asia: Challenges and Achievements
Even though host plant resistance has long been recognized as the foundation of integrated pest management, research in North Africa, West and Central Asia only started in 1980. The recent use of Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy has...
Socio-economic impacts of zero and reduced tillage in wheat fields of the Moroccan drylands
Zero tillage (ZT) is recommended for dryland farming because it enhances retention of residual soil moisture. However, it is not always clear whether this translates to an economic advantage over conventional tillage, which helps in controlling...
First combined resistance to Hessian fly and Sunn pest identified in synthetic hexaploid wheat
Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), and Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps (Puton), are the two most damaging insect pests of wheat in North Africa, West and Central Asia. Host plant resistance is the most environmental friendly, cost...
Managing Scarce Water Resources in the Drylands of West Asia and North Africa: Review of Joint Research between ICARDA and Japanese Researchers
In the arid regions of the world, maintaining economic and efficient crop production has been among the most critical challenges. In this context, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area (ICARDA) has been leading in...
Genome-Wide Association and Prediction of Male and Female Floral Hybrid Potential Traits in Elite Spring Bread Wheat Genotypes
Hybrid wheat breeding is one of the most promising technologies for further sustainable yield increases. However, the cleistogamous nature of wheat displays a major bottleneck for a successful hybrid breeding program. Thus, an optimized breeding...
Genome-wide association study for adult plant resistance to yellow rust in spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Yellow rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a common and serious fungal disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) all over the world and particularly in the Central and West Asia and North Africa region. To identify effective...
Assessment of Drought and Heat Tolerance of Durum Wheat Lines Derived from Interspecific Crosses Using Physiological Parameters and Stress Indices
Drought and high temperature are the major abiotic stresses for wheat production. The present study investigated the effect of drought and chronic heat stress on physiological parameters of durum wheat lines derived from interspecific crosses...
Yield and Cost Effects of Plot-Level Wheat Seed Rates and Seed Recycling Practices in the East Gojam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: Application of the Dose–Response Model
Previous studies investigated the effects of seed rates and seed recycling practices on the yield and yield-related variables. However, higher yield does not always guarantee cost-efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the yield effects of...
Unlocking the Patterns of the Tunisian Durum Wheat Landraces Genetic Structure Based on Phenotypic Characterization in Relation to Farmer’s Vernacular Name
During the 1970s, Tunisian durum wheat landraces were replaced progressively by modern cultivars. These landraces are nowadays maintained by smallholder farmers in some ecological niches and are threatened gradually by extinction resulting in...
Genome-wide association analysis uncovers stable QTLs for yield and quality traits of spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) across contrasting environments
Heat and drought are the foremost abiotic stress factors that significantly diminish both grain yield and quality parameters of bread wheat. Genetic improvement of varieties withstanding such stresses and able to give sufficient grain yield with...
